Wellsburg Public Library

Wellsburg Public Library

Wellsburg, IA

The library for Wellsburg started out with the design criteria of fitting on and reusing existing footings from a building that was to be demolished. Upon further investigation, the existing conditions were determined not to be suitable for the new building so all of the existing structure was demolished. A new library was designed to fit on this limited Downtown Main Street site.

The building design incorporated a center-vaulted ceiling that ran from front to back, having large peaked floor to ceiling glass at each end. In the center of the library space was a curved reception desk with direct views over the entire library, as well as a floor to ceiling curved glass window overlooking a green area outside. An open reading and gathering area was placed in front of this window, with a slightly more private adult reading area nestled in a corner with a fireplace and casual seating. A separate children’s area was also created within the library space with smaller sized furniture and smaller stacks for books.

A full-sized community room, kitchen, and a tornado shelter were incorporated into the design and helped to diversify its utilization by the entire Wellsburg community.